The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having an icemaker for producing ice.

A refrigerator is an apparatus to prolong the fresh storage of food. Known refrigerators have a food-storage chamber therein. The food-storage chamber is always maintained at a low temperature by a refrigerating cycle to keep food fresh.

The food-storage chamber is divided into a plurality of storage chambers having different characteristics so that a user can choose a food-storage method in the light of the kind, characteristics, and expiration date of the food. Typical examples of storage chambers are a cooling chamber and a freezer.

The cooling chamber keeps the temperature approximately at 3°C-4°C to keep food and vegetables fresh for a long time. The freezer keeps the temperature at sub-zero to keep and store meat and fish in a frozen state for a long time, and to make and store ice.

Refrigerators have been developed for performing additional functions. For example, some refrigerators allow users to open the door and take out a water bottle kept in the cooling chamber, so that they can drink cold water.

However, a refrigerator having a water dispenser provided outside the door for supplying cold water cooled by cool air of the cooling chamber has been developed so that the user can access cold water from outside of the refrigerator without opening the door. Furthermore, a product with water purifying functions has been added to the water dispenser.

However, to use ice for drinking or cooking, a user has to open the door of the freezer and take ice out of an ice tray in the freezer.

It is inconvenient that the user has to open the door, take out the ice tray, and separate ice from the ice tray. Also, when the door is open, cool air in the freezer leaks out and the temperature of the freezer goes up. Therefore, there is a problem that a compressor has to work more, and thus, energy is wasted.

US 6,442,954B1 discloses a refrigerator with an icemaker, comprising:a cooling chamber and a first freezer chamber, and a dispenser provided at a door of the refrigerator

US 2728203 discloses a refrigerator having a freezer compartment in the door. The freezer compartment is in communication with a freezer compartment in the top of the refrigerator.

US-A-5375432 discloses a freezer compartment and a fresh food compartment. An evaporator and ice bin are provided in the fresh food compartment. A door for closing the fresh food compartment comprises a well.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a refrigerator with an icemaker that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.

The present invention is set out in the independent claim. Some optional features are set out in the claims dependent thereto.

According to the claimed embodiment, there is provided a refrigerator with an icemaker, according to claim 1. According to one embodiment, there is provided a refrigerator with an icemaker, the refrigerator having an improved structure in which ice is supplied outside of the refrigerator without opening the door.

According to another embodiment, there is provided a refrigerator with an icemaker structured so that a dispenser is provided at a convenient location for the user to use.

According to a further embodiment there is provided a refrigerator with an icemaker, the refrigerator including a supplementary freezer, a cavity, the icemaker and a dispenser. The dispenser communicates with the cavity in the door. The icemaker is provided in the supplementary freezer or in the cavity. The supplementary freezer is provided at an upper part of the cooling chamber and includes a housing having an outlet communicating with the cavity when the door is closed, and an evaporator provided in the housing. Preferably the cavity is surrounded with the insulating material.

In another embodiment, a refrigerator with an icemaker further includes a shutter provided between the cavity and the dispenser for selectively supplying ice to the dispenser. The refrigerator further includes an ice container provided in the cavity for storing ice produced by the icemaker. In this case, the ice container includes an opened top for receiving the ice produced and dropped from the icemaker and an outlet provided at a lower part thereof for discharging the ice to the dispenser.

In another embodiment, a refrigerator with an icemaker further includes a transferring device provided in the door or an ice container for transferring ice stored in a cavity or the ice container to an outlet communicating with a dispenser. In this case, the transferring device includes an auger rotatably provided in the door or the cavity for transferring ice to the outlet and a motor being coupled with the shaft of the auger.

In another embodiment, a refrigerator with an icemaker further includes a crusher provided in a cavity or an ice tray for crushing ice stored in the cavity. In this case, the crusher includes a shaft rotated by the motor and at least one blade extending from the shaft and rotating with the shaft for crushing ices.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a cooling chamber to cool water supplied thereto; a supplementary freezer arranged in the cooling chamber; an icemaker to produce ice using cool air from the supplementary freezer; a cavity in a door of the refrigerator, the cavity arranged in communication with the supplementary freezer when the door is closed; and a dispenser in communication with the cavity, and accessible to selectively dispense the cool water and ice when the door is shut.

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawing:

• FIG. 1 illustrates a front cutaway view of a refrigerator.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional side view showing an approximate inside structure of the refrigerator of FIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view showing an ice-supplying system of the refrigerator of FIG.1.
• FIG. 4 illustrates a sectional side view showing the ice-supplying system of FIG. 3.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a front cutaway view of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 6A illustrates a side sectional view showing an approximate inside structure of the refrigerator of FIG. 5.
• FIG. 6B illustrates a side sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the refrigerator of FIG. 6A.
• FIG. 7A illustrates a side sectional view showing a refrigerator according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 7B illustrates a side sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the refrigerator of FIG. 7A.
• FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view showing a transferring device and a crusher of the refrigerator of FIG. 5.

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

A prior art refrigerator is structured so that a cooling chamber and a freezer are provided in a lower part and an upper part of the refrigerator, respectively. However, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a refrigerator is structured so that a cooling chamber and a freezer are provided in an upper part and a lower part of the refrigerator, respectively.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the refrigerator includes a cooling chamber 20 provided at an upper part thereof and a freezer 10 provided at a lower part thereof. A door 25 is provided on a front side of the refrigerator and a dispenser 30 is provided in the door 25. The dispenser 30 directly supplies cold water to a user outside of the refrigerator without opening the door 25. For this, a water tank 60 is provided inside the door 25 and is in contact with the cooling chamber 20 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The water tank 60 stores water, and cool air in the cooling chamber 20 cools water stored in the water tank 60. Accordingly, the user is supplied with cold water stored in the water tank 60 through the dispenser 30 when the user operates a lever 35.

The refrigerator has a structure that the cooling chamber 20 is provided at the upper part of the refrigerator and the freezer is provide at the lower part so that the user is supplied with cold water through the dispenser 30 at a convenient location. If the cooling chamber is provided at the lower part of the refrigerator as a conventional refrigerator, the dispenser for supplying cold water is also provided at the lower part of the refrigerator. The user can not use the dispenser easily and conveniently if the refrigerator has this structure.

The refrigerator includes not only the dispenser 30 for supplying cold water but also an icemaker 40 for producing and supplying ice pieces. The icemaker 40 will now be described in detail with reference to drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the ice-supplying system is provided in the freezer 10 at the lower part of the refrigerator. The ice-supplying system includes an icemaker 40 for producing ice using cool air of the freezer 10 and an ice container 50 for storing ice produced from the icemaker 40 as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the icemaker 40 includes an ice tray 41, a water supplier 42, an ejector 44 and a motor 43. The ice tray 41 has a semi-cylindrical form and an open upper part for storing water and ice therein as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. A plurality of ribs 41a dividing the inner space of the ice tray 41 into a plurality of spaces are provided in the ice tray 41. The ribs 41a project in a radial direction as illustrated in FIG. 3 in order that the ice tray 41 can produce a plurality of little pieces of ice.

The water supplier 42 is provided at a side of the ice tray 41 as illustrated in FIG. 3 and supplies water to the ice tray 41. At a rear of the ice tray 41, a bracket 45 is provided for fixing the icemaker 40 to the freezer 10.

The ejector 44 includes a shaft 44a and a plurality of fins 44b. The shaft 44a is arranged to cross the center of the ice tray 41 along the longitudinal direction at the upper part of the ice tray 41. It is desirable that the fins 44b are formed at an interval along the longitudinal direction of the shaft 44a. Particularly, the fins 44b are arranged at each space in the ice tray 41 forward by each of the ribs 41 a.

The motor 43 is provided at an outer circumference of the ice tray 41 for coupling with the shaft 44a as illustrated in FIG. 3. Accordingly, when the shaft 44a is rotated by the motor 43, the fins 44b rotate together with the shaft 44a. The fins 44b push ice in the ice tray 41 and drop ice to a lower part of the icemaker 40.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a plurality of strips 46 are provided at an upper end of a front side of the ice tray 41, i.e., an opposite side of the bracket 45. Each of the stripes 46 extends from the front side of the ice tray 41 to near the shaft 44a. There exist little gaps between each of the stripes 46 and the fins 44b passes through the fins 44b when the shaft 44a rotates.

Meanwhile, ice in the ice tray 41 is pushed by the fins 44b, separated from the ice tray 41, and dropped into the stripes 46 when the shaft 44a rotates. Ice dropped to the stripes 46 is dropped to and stored in the ice container 50 provided at a lower part of the icemaker 40. Accordingly, an upper surface of the stripes 46 serves to drop ice being separated from the ice tray 41 to a lower part. Therefore, it is desirable that the stripes 46 are inclined to a side and thus a part of the stripes 46 near the shaft 44a is arranged at a higher place than the front side of the ice tray 41.

A structure is needed for preventing ice separated from the ice tray 41 from being dropped to a rear side of the ice tray 41. For this, it is desirable that a rear end of the ice tray 41 is higher than the shaft 44a as illustrated in FIG. 4. Then, ice being separated from the ice tray 41 is moved to a rear side of the ice tray 41 by the fins 44b, is smoothly lead to the front side of the ice tray 41 and is dropped onto the upper surface of the stripes 46.

A heater 47 is provided at a lower surface of the ice tray 41 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The heater 47 heats a surface of the ice tray 41 for a short time and melts ice on the surface of the ice tray 41. Accordingly, ice is easy to separate when the shaft 44a and the fins rotate.

Referring to FIG. 3 and Fig. 4, a sensing arm is provided in the icemaker 40 for estimating the amount of ice stored in the ice container 50. The sensing arm 48 estimates the amount of ice stored in the ice container 50 by being controlled by a controller (not illustrated) and moving up and down. For example, the sensing arm 48 periodically descends. The descending amount is large when a small amount of ice is stored in the ice container 50. On the other hand, the sensing arm 48 bumps into ice and thus the descending amount is small when a large amount of ice is stored in the ice container 50. Accordingly, the controller estimates the amount of ice in the ice container 50 by the descending amount.

The ice container 50 with an open upper part is provided at a lower part of the icemaker 40 as illustrated in FIG. 4. Accordingly, ice is produced by the icemaker 40 and dropped to the lower part thereof and stored in the ice container 50.

A user can be supplied with ice stored in the ice container 50 at any time when the ice-supplying system is provided in the freezer 10. However, in a case of the refrigerator having the above structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention, ice is not supplied through the dispenser 30 in the door 25. In other words, a user can be supplied with only cold water through the dispenser 30 in the case of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, a structure is useful to enable the user to be supplied with ice through the dispenser at a convenient location to use.

In a case of the refrigerator according embodiments of the present invention labeled second and third, the user can be supplied with ice through the dispenser being located at a convenient location to use, i.e., from an upper part of the refrigerator. Of course, if necessary, not only ice but also cold water can be selectively supplied through the dispenser.

The second and third embodiments include a supplementary freezer 300 provided in a cooling chamber 200 of the refrigerator, an icemaker 400 for producing ice using cool air from the supplementary freezer 300, a cavity 500 provided in a door 250 of the refrigerator and a dispenser 260 provided outside of the door 250 of the refrigerator.

The refrigerator and structures of the second and third embodiments are very similar and therefore, they will be described together and the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

First, the refrigerator according to the second and third embodiments is different from the refrigerator according to the first embodiment since it includes a supplementary freezer 300. The supplementary freezer 300 supplies cool air to the icemaker 400 and keeps ice frozen, ice being produced from the icemaker 400 and stored in the cavity 500. The supplementary freezer 300 is provided at an upper part of the refrigerator having the dispenser 260, i.e., in the cooling chamber 200. Meanwhile, the cooling chamber 200 in the second and third embodiments of the present invention is provided at an upper part in the refrigerator and the freezer 100 is provided at a lower part in the refrigerator as illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG.7.

The icemaker 400 produces ice using cool air from the supplementary freezer 300 and is provided at different locations in the second and third embodiments. Referring to FIG. 6A, in the case of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the icemaker 400 is provided in the supplementary freezer 300 and the cavity 500 to which ice produced form the icemaker 400 is provided in the door 250. Referring to FIG. 7A, in the case of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment, the icemaker 400 is provided in the cavity 500 in the door 250. Meanwhile, a dispenser 260 is provided in the door 250 of the refrigerators according to the second and third embodiments.

The supplementary freezer 300 is, for example, provided at the upper part in the cooling chamber 200 as illustrated in FIG. 6A to FIG. 7B. The supplementary freezer 300 includes a hosing 310, an outlet 320 and an evaporator 340. The housing 310 is provided in the cooling chamber 200 having a predetermined space therein independent from the cooling chamber 200. The housing 310 includes an insulating material or is formed in a multilayered structure with insulation layers.

The outlet 320 is provided to pass through a side of the housing 310, i.e., a front part of the housing 310. The outlet 320 allows the cavity 500 provided in the door 250 to communicate with the inner space of the housing 310 when the door 250 is closed as illustrated in FIG. 6A to FIG. 7B. Accordingly, cool air in the supplementary freezer 300 is transmitted to the cavity 500 through the outlet 320. Meanwhile, the outlet 320 functions as a passage transmitting ice to the cavity 500 in the second embodiment with the icemaker 400 provided in the supplementary freezer 300.

The evaporator 340 is provided in the housing 310 and thus the supplementary freezer 300 is cooled separately from the cooling chamber 200. Meanwhile, the supplementary freezer 300 further includes a fan 330 for improving the cooling function of the evaporator 340 in the supplementary freezer 300 as illustrated in FIG. 6A to FIG. 7B. When the fan 330 is provided, heat exchange function is improved, the supplementary freezer 330 is more effectively cooled and cool air in the supplementary freezer 300 is better transmitted to the cavity 500 when the door 250 is closed. Symbol 335 in FIG. 6A to FIG. 7B denotes the motor for rotating the fan 330.

The icemaker 400 in the second embodiment is provided in the supplementary freezer 300 as illustrated in FIG. 6A. When the icemaker 400 is provided in the supplementary freezer 300, cool air blown by the fan 330 is transmitted directly to the icemaker 400 and thus ice is produced in short time. The structure of the icemaker 400 is the same as that of the icemaker 40 being described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

The icemaker 400 is provided in the cavity 500 as illustrated in FIG. 7A in the third embodiment. When the icemaker 400 is provided as above, the supplementary freezer 300 may be manufactured smaller than that in the second embodiment, and thus, the size of the cooling chamber 200 may be larger.

The cavity 500 provided in the door 250 communicates with the supplementary freezer 300 when the door 250 is closed. For this, an inlet 510 is provided at the upper part of the cavity 500 as illustrated in FIG. 6A and FIG. 7A.

The inlet 510 is provided at a side of the cavity, i.e., the upper part of the cavity as illustrated in FIG. 6 to be connected with the outlet 320 of the supplementary freezer 330 when the door 250 is closed.

In the second and third embodiments illustrated in FIG. 6A and FIG. 7B, ice produced from the icemaker 400 is stored in the cavity 500. In this case, an outlet 520 is provided at the lower part of the cavity 500 for discharging ice stored in the cavity 500 to the dispenser 260.

Ice is not necessarily stored in the cavity 500, and may be stored in the ice container 590 separately provided in the cavity 500. Examples showing the ice container 590 provided in the cavity 500 are illustrated in FIG. 6B and FIG. 7B. Referring to FIG. 6B and FIG. 7B, the ice container 590 has an open top and an outlet 520a provided at the lower part of the cavity 500.

Although it is not illustrated, it is desirable that the cavity 500 is surrounded with the insulating material in the refrigerator so that cool air supplied from the supplementary freezer 300 is prevented from being transmitted to the outside of the door 250 or to the cooling chamber 200.

Meanwhile, a shutter 530 is provided between the dispenser 260 and the cavity 500 in the refrigerator according to the present invention. The shutter 530 is provided to selectively open the outlet 520 and 520a.

Meanwhile, an ice chute 255 is provided in the door 250 for connecting the outlet 520 and 520a with the dispenser 260 as illustrated in FIG. 6A and FIG. 7B.

With this structure, ice produced by the icemaker 400 is stored in the cavity 500 or in the ice container 590 through the outlet 320 of the supplementary freezer 300 and the inlet 510 of the cavity 500. Ice stored in the cavity 500 or in the ice container 590 is supplied to the user through the dispenser 260 after being passed through the outlet 520 of the cavity 500 when the shutter 530 is opened.

Meanwhile, the refrigerator according to the second and third embodiments and the various variations of the embodiments of the present invention further includes a transferring device 540 for transferring ice stored in the cavity 500 or the ice container 590 to the outlet 520 and 520a. The transferring device 540 further includes an auger 541 and a motor 545 as illustrated in FIG. 6A and FIG. 8. The auger 541 includes a shaft 542 horizontally provided in the cavity 500 or the ice container 590, and a blade 543 projected in a spiral form along the longitudinal direction of the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 542. The auger 541 having such a structure transfers ice being stored in the cavity 500 or the ice container 590 to the outlet 520 and 520a in a vertical direction. The motor 545 coupled with the auger rotates the auger.

The refrigerator according to the second and third embodiments enables the user to be supplied with crushed ice through the dispenser 260. A crusher 550 is provided for crushing ice stored in the cavity 500 or the ice container 590.

The crusher 550 includes a shaft rotated by the motor and a blade for rotating together with the shaft and crushing the ice. In this case, the motor and the shaft of the crusher 550 are separately provided from the motor 545 and the shaft 542 of the transferring device 540. However, FIG. 6A to FIG. 8 show an embodiment that the motor 545 and the shaft 542 are jointly shared by the transferring device 540 and the crusher 550.

Referring to FIG. 6A to FIG. 8, the blade 551 of the crusher 550 extends from an end of the shaft 542 rotated by the motor 545 in a radial direction. At least one or more of the blades 551 rotates together with the shaft 542. When the transferring device 540 and the crusher 550 are provided in the refrigerator according to the second and third embodiments and the various variations of embodiments, the crusher 550 extends from an end of the transferring device to crush ice transferred by the transferring device 540.

The dispenser 260 is provided at the door 250 as illustrated in FIG. 6A to 7B. Accordingly, the user is supplied with ice stored in the cavity 500 and the ice container 590 without opening the door 250, so that the user is provided with either crushed ice or uncrushed ice through the dispenser 260.

Referring to FIG. 6A to FIG. 8, the outlet 520 and 520a of the cavity 500 or the ice container 590 includes first outlets 521 and 521a, and second outlets 525 and 525a. The first outlets 521 and 521a are provided at a lower part of the crusher 550 and the second outlets 525 and 525a are provided near the crusher 550 at a lower part of the auger 541. It is desirable that the second outlets 525 and 525a are provided at a proper location in a proper size in order to prevent ice transferred by the auger 541 are not easily slipped out before being crushed by the crusher 550. The shutter 530 is provided to selectively open the first outlets 521 and 521a.

When the shutter 530 closes the first outlets 521 and 521a, ice is transferred by the transferring device 540, crushed by the crusher 530 and supplied to the dispenser 260 through the second outlets 525 and 525a. Accordingly, the user is supplied with the crushed ice. On the other hand, when the shutter 530 opens the first outlets 521 and 521a, ice is transferred to the transferring device 540 and supplied to the dispenser 260 through the opened first outlets 521 and 521a before being reached by the crusher 550.

When the outlets 520 and 520a include only a hole, the user is selectively supplied with crushed ice or uncrushed ice through the dispenser 260. In other words, uncrushed ice is supplied through the dispenser 260 when the crusher 550 does not operate but only the transferring device 540 operates, and crushed ice is supplied through the dispenser 260 when the crusher 550 and the transferring device 540 operate at the same time. In this case, the crusher 550 is controlled separately from the transferring device 540.

Also, when the outlets 520 and 520a include only a hole and the shutter 530 is able to control the opening and shutting of the outlets 520 and 520a, crushed or uncrushed ice is selectively supplied through the dispenser 260.

The refrigerator according to the second and third embodiments further includes a water tank (not shown) for supplying cold water to the dispenser 260. The water tank is provided in the door to be in communication with the cooling chamber 200 as illustrated in FIG. 2. A control panel is provided outside of the door for the user to select cold water, crushed ice, or uncrushed ice through the dispenser 260. The user operates the control panel to be selectively supplied with water or ice through the dispenser 260.

The operation of the refrigerator according to the second, third and variations of the present invention will now be briefly described. First, the icemaker 400 produces ice using cool air of the freezer 330. The ice is passed through the outlet 320 of the supplementary freezer 330 and the inlet 510 of the cavity 500, and stored in the cavity 500 or the ice container 590.

When the user operates the control panel provided in the door 250 to get uncrushed ice, the motor 545 operates, and the auger 541 rotates to transfer the ice stored in the cavity 500 or the ice container 590 to the outlets 520 and 520a of the cavity 500 or the ice container 590. The shutter 530 is open thus the first outlets 521 and 521a, the transferred ice passes through the first outlets 521 and 521a, and the ice chute 255.

When the user operates the control panel provided in the door 250 to get crushed ice, the motor operates and the auger 541 rotates transferring ice stored in the cavity 500 or the ice container 590 to the outlets 520 and 520a of the cavity 500 or the ice container 590. At this time, the shutter 530 is closed and the first outlets 521 and 521a thus, the transferred ice is crushed in the crusher 550. The crushed ice pass through the second outlets 525 and 525a and the ice chute 255, and is supplied to the user through the dispenser 260.

When the user operates the control panel provided in the door 250 to get cold water, cold water stored in the water tank is supplied to the user through the dispenser 260.

The refrigerator according to the present invention has the following advantages.

First, the dispenser is provided in the door for supplying ice or water, and thus, the user is supplied with ice or water at the outside of the refrigerator without opening the door.

Second, the user is supplied with ice or water without opening the door, and unnecessary energy is prevented from being wasted.

Third, the cooling chamber is provided at the upper part of the refrigerator and the supplementary freezer is provided in the cooling chamber for cooling the icemaker. Accordingly, the refrigerator includes the dispenser provided at a convenient location for the user to use.

Fourth, the crusher is provided in the refrigerator according to the present invention, and it is convenient for the user to selectively be supplied with uncrushed ice or crushed ice through the dispenser.